Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $982 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,499 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,016 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Novoshakhtinsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Novoshakhtinsk are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Novoshakhtinsk 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$9.32 ₽700

28.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$38.57 ₽2,898

10.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.78 ₽435

83.22%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.34 ₽176

54.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.08 ₽81.3

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.48 ₽36.40

95.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.36 ₽102

127.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.51 ₽189

77.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.15 ₽86.6

24.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.70 ₽52.6

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.41 ₽106

15.60%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.74 ₽130

51.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$10.70 ₽804

-23.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$5.00 ₽376

65.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.83 ₽664

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.72 ₽129

54.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.90 ₽142

-21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.96 ₽147

1.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.65 ₽199

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.79 ₽59.5

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.72 ₽54.3

202.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$1.42 ₽107

-23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.71 ₽53.2

46.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$2.87 ₽216

38.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.77 ₽584

31.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.96 ₽72.4

80.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.94 ₽146

28.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.50 ₽37.45

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.93 ₽145

62.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.33 ₽24.79

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.19 ₽465

-50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$0.79 ₽59.0

60.76%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$34.0K ₽2.6M

-9.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$35.8K ₽2.7M

-34.83%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.0 MX$1,427

$108 ₽8,098

-23.91%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.45 MX$391

$5.98 ₽449

275.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$7.84 ₽589

278.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$34.96 ₽2,627

48.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$5.22 ₽392

-4.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$198 MX$3,442

$326 ₽24.5K

-39.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$7,065 ₽530.8K

-25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$69.7 ₽5,232

-47.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$44.34 ₽3,332

-9.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$116 ₽8,748

-31.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$107 ₽8,058

-17.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$439 ₽33.0K

119.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$305 ₽22.9K

52.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$773 ₽58.1K

106.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$516 ₽38.8K

134.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,879 ₽141.2K

109.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,601 ₽120.3K

302.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.33

-25.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Novoshakhtinsk: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $439 in Novoshakhtinsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $198 – making Novoshakhtinsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Novoshakhtinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,473 in Novoshakhtinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novoshakhtinsk, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $39.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novoshakhtinsk, where all-in costs run around $982, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Novoshakhtinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novoshakhtinsk – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Novoshakhtinsk. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.